Vehicle roof structure



Feb. 25, 1930. F. E. DAYES 8, 14

VEHICLE ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 18, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ITTO/M/f YFeb. 25, F. E. DAYES VEHICLE ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 18, 1924 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 255 1930. F. E. DAYES VEHICLE ROOF STRUCTURE FiledSept. 18, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ill-III.

INVNTOR 9. 223 FM.

Feb. 25, 1930. F. E. DAYES VEHICLE ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 18. 1924 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb J25, 1930.

F. E. DAYES VEHICLE ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 18, 1924- 5 Sheets-Sheet5 Patented F eb. 25, 1 930 TFUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I FREDERICK E.DAYES, OF-BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRYCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY VEHIGLE ROOFSTRUCTURE application filed September 18, 1924. Serial No. 738,437.

Reference is had to the accompanying "drawings which illustrate thepreferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to 5 the exact details of constructionshown-and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereofwithin the scope of the claims willoccur to persons skilled in the art.a I

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken central longitudinal vertical section of the upperportion of adouble deck bus equipped with a top constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with aportion of the upper deck roof or top removed;

Fig. 2 is a partial top plan view showing a modified construction ofupperdeck roof, part of the roof covering being broken away; ,Fig. 3 isa partial vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical longitudinal sections taken on the lines 5-5and 66,' respectively, of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a'vertical' transverse section taken on the line 7'7 of Fig.2;

Fig. 8 is a detail view in elevation showing the connection of thesupporting brackets and the monitorsupporting bows and the stops'whichlimit the lowering of the bows; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are sections taken on lines 99 and 1010, respectively ofFig. 8.

. It is, an object of this invention to provide an improved upper deckstructure for vehicles, and more particularly to provide an improvedcover or roof for the upper decks of vehicles which will permit thevehicle to pass freely beneath such obstructions as over head trolleywires and elevated railroad structures and which is so constructed as toprovide full protection to passengers standing in the upper deck aisle.It is also an object of this invention to provide a cover or roof of thetype described which will completely cover the upper deck so as topermit of the full us'eof the upper deck in bad or cold weather andwhich will permit of the upper deck beusual lower deck or body structure1 which supports the usual roof or cover 2 for the lower deck which, inthis construction, carries a floor 3 for the upper deck. The upper deckis provided with side walls 4 and front andrear walls 5 and 6,respectively, each, in the construction shown, being provided withwindows 7 which may be lowered into the window pockets 8.in the walls.The side walls4 have at their tops side plates 9 to which are securedthe carlines 10 which extend upwardly and inwardly from the side plates9 and have their inner ends secured to purlins 11 which extend from thefront end plate 12 to the rear end plate 13 and are secured thereto, oneof said purlins being be'ntoutwardly at the rear of the vehicle toprovide clearance over the stairs connecting the upper and lower decks.The purlins 11 and the inner ends of the carlines 10are supported byrods '14 which are secured to the inner or aisle ends 15 of seats 16 andto the purlins 11. At opposite sides of the vehicle at the endsare thepermanent cover or roof portions 17 18, 19 and 20, respectively, whichextend from the end plates 12 and 13 to carlines 10 situated a shortdistance from the ends of the vehicle and from the side plates 9 to theadjacent purlins 11 leaving between the purlins 11 an opening 43 overthe center aisle which is not covered by the permanent roof portions.

It will be noted that the purlins-11 are in each case placed slightlyoutwardly fromthe aisle ends of the seats 16 and that the carlines 10are placed above the seats 16 at a sufficient height to provideclearance above the head of the average passenger when seated but areplaced too low to provide cleardesired: material.

nent roof portions open.

tions 18 and 20 and 17 and 19, respectively,

are closed by flexible covers or curtains 21 of suitable waterproofedmaterial which are secured at their inner edges to the purlins, 11, andwhich extend from the purlins 11 to the side rails 9 and overlap thepermanent roof portions. The covers 21 are supported in between thecar-lines 10 by slats 22 which rest upon the carlines 10 and thepermanent roof sections and are secured to the covers or; curtains'21 bystraps or loops 23. of any The curtains 21 may be rolled, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 3, sov as. to leave the spaces between the perma-The curtains 21 may have their outer edges secured to the side plates 9in any desired nanner and when sov secured they form, with the adjacentper- -Inanent roof portions, roof sections which extend from end to. endalong each'side of the vehicle and are separated by a space slightlywiderthan the aisle'between the rows of seats.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 2 certain of the carlinesaremade wide so that they form small permanent roof portions 24 whichare spaced from the end roof portions 18. and 20- and extend from theside walls to the purlins 11.. In this construction each of the curtainsor covers 21 extendsonly be tween an end portion and the adjacentpermanent roof portion 24 or from one permanent roof portion 2a toanother. Except for being made shorter so as to render them more readilyrolled, the construction of the curtains 21 is the same as, shown in ;Figs.

and 3; V v

:To the purlins 11 there are secured at suitable regularinte-rvalsbrackets 25 having projecting lugs-26.. To thebrackets 25 bows. 29 aresecured by bolts 27 which pass through openings in the bow end pieces28. The bows 29 extend between brackets 25 secured, to the purlins: 11on opposite sides of the center aisle and when raised are high enough toclearthe heads ofpassengers standing in the aisle. The bows 2.9 areconnected at their centers by a wood strip 30 whichextends from theiirstto thelast bow and is connected to the bows by straps. 31 whichsurround the bows and have outwardly projecting flanges secured to thestrip 30 by the bolts 33, the strip being maintained centrally of, thebows by collars 3d secured; to, the bows.

I Carried by the bows 29 and secured at its edges to the purlins 11 is aflexible top or cover 35 of suitable woven Waterproofed materialv whichextends from end to end of the vehicle and: is secured at its front andrear ends to. the front and rearend-plates 12- and 13., respectively,andat its sides to the pur- .lins 11, thecover 35 being slightlyextended 9 on one side at the rear toform an extension 36 which coversover the stairway between the two decks. The cover 35 may be secured tothe end rails and purlins in any desired ing and lowering the cover. Thecover 35 and bows 29 form a monitor that can be lowered to reduce theclearance necessary for the passage of the vehicle beneath anobstruction and then raised to provide a. cover over the aisle ofample'heightto permitpaSsengers in.

the aisle to stand erect. These changes, however,;need lnvolve nodlsturbance of upper deck passengers in their seats.

To operate the bows to raise, and lower the cover 35 there are securedto the iron how 29 extensible links 39 having pin and slot connections40 at one end with the front bow'29 and pivotally connected at theirother ends to levers 11 formed integral with quadrants and rotatablymounted on studs. 42

fixed in'brackets 44 secured to the end plate 12 and the purlins 11. Thequadrants d5 are driven by pinions d6 fixed on a shaft 47 jour- 1 naledin the brackets 44 and 50 and'c'arrymg a pinion 5L9 which, engages a,gear 55 fixed on the shaft 17. The motor is conconductor or the driverof the vehicle.

In the operation of this device, assuming the bows to be in the raisedposition, operating the motor 51 in one direction will operate thelevers 41 causing the links 39 to travel rearwardly to the limit oftheir'pin and slot connection. with the, how 29 whereupon the bows 29will be operated and through their engagement with the loops 38 willbring-the cover 35 down to substantiallythe level of the side roofsections, the movement of the bows being limitedby engagement of thestops (30 on the bow end pieces 28 withthe lugs 26.011 the brackets 25.Operating the motor- 51 in the opposite direction will operate theleversdl in the opposite direction causing the with the top 35 and theconnection with the' top through the straps 38 will raise the top to theposition shown in Fig. 1, the engagement ofthe end how 29 with the endof the pin and slot connection 40 during the raising trolled in anydesired manner by either the and the lowering of the bows 29 beingcushioned by springs 66. As the top in its lowered position engages withthe levers 41 protection strips 65 are secured to the top. 1

What is claimed is:

1. An upper deck structure for vehicles comprising side walls, seatsseparated by a center aisle, roof sections extending inwardly from saidside walls to adjacent the center aisle, bows pivotally mounted on saidroof sections, means connecting said bows, links connected to one ofsaid bows, operating levers connected to said links, means to operatesaid levers and a flexible covering for the center aisle carried by saidbows and secured to said roof sections.

2. A collapsible monitor for vehicle roofs comprising a plurality ofpivotally supported parallel bows, a flexiblecover carried by said bows,elongated flexible loops connecting said cover and bows, meansconnecting said bows to raise and lower said bows together, linksconnected to opposite sides of an end bow, crank arms connected to saidlinks and a shaft for operating said crank arms.

3. A collapsible monitor for vehicle roofs comprising a plurality ofpivotally supported parallel bows, a flexible cover carried by said bowsand having its edgessecured in position, means loosely connectingsaidcover and bows, links connected to an end bow, cranks connected to saidlinks, operating means for said cranks and rigid connections betweensaid bows.

4. A vehicle roof structure comprising seping the same to turndownwardly as a unit into a position substantially parallel with theroof sections and further operating the bows to turn upwardly in likemanner into angular relation with the roof sections, anda flexiblecovering fixedly secured to the roof sections and extending over andoperatively connect- 1 ed to the bows and movabletherewith.

5. A vehicle roof structure comprising spaced rigid roof sectionsconnected together at one end and a collapsible monitor interposedbetween said sections and comprising bows pivotally connected to thesections, means connecting the .bows operating the same to turndownwardly as a unit into a position substantially parallel with thesections and further operating the bows to turn upwardly in like mannerinto angular relation with the sections, and a flexible coveringfixedlysecured to adjacent sides and the connected end portion of said'sectionsand extending over and operatively connected to the bows and movabletherewith. I

6. A vehicle roof structure comprising spaced rigid roof sectionsconnected together at either end, and a collapsible monitorintersubstantially parallel with the sections and further operating thebows to turn upwardly in like manner into angular relation with thesections, and a flexible covering fixedly secured to adjacent sides andto the opposite end portions of the sections and extending over andoperatively connected to the bows and movable therewith.

7. In a vehicle of the class described, a body having an upper deck androws of seats defining an intervening aisle, a roof for the upper deckcomprising separated sections disposedover the rows of seats, supportsfor the sections converging downwardly from the inner sides thereof tothe inner end portions of said seats, and a collapsible monitor disposedover the aisle and including a flexible covering fixedly secured to thesaid roof sections. r

8. In a vehicle of the kind described, a body having an upperdeck androws of seats defining an intervening aisle, a roof for the up per deckcomprising separated frame sections disposed over the rows of seats,supports for the said sections converging downwardly from the innersides thereof to the inner end portions of the seats, flexible coveringsfor the said frames adapted to be extended over the frames and furtheradapted to be folded upon the frames to afford a view of the'exterior,and a flexible monitor disposed over the aisle and including a flexiblecovering fixedly secured to adjacent sides of said frames.

9. The combination with a motor bus having an upper deck provided withan open aisle and top sections at each side of said aisle, of acollapsible inverted trough-shaped cover for said aisle including aplurality of bows extending transversely of said aisle and having legportions pivoted on the top sections, a bar pivotally connected to saidbows at approximately the median line thereof, and a flexible coveringfor the bows slidably connected to the bar and rigidly secured to saidtop sections.

10. The combination with a motor bus having an upper deck provided withan open aisle, and longitudinally extending top sections at each side ofsaid aisle, of a covering of flexible material having its longitudinaledge portions secured to said top sections and having an intermediateportion movable vertically above said aisle, and supporting means forthe intermediate vertically movable portion including means movablerelative to said covering and longitudinally of said aisle.

11. The combination with a. motor bus having an upper deck provided withan open aisle, and longitudinally extending top secfor said aisle;comprising a strip of flexible material having its longitudinal. edgepor tions, anchoredxupon said'top sections and having an intermediateportion movable rec,-

5 tilinearly above said aisle, and supporting means for said coveringhaving portion-s slid ,ablelongitud-inally thereof and having otherportions, pivotal-Ly mounted on said top sections. 1

1O 12., In combination. With a, motor bus having: an upper deck,provided with an open aisle and top sections on eachside of said aislearranged above the deck at. a height sulficient to accommodate seatedpassengers, a- (:01:

5 lapsible covering over said aisle having an intermediate portionnormally arranged at a height snflicient, to accommodate standingpassengers and its longitudinal side'edges secured to-thebefore-mentioned top sections,

and supporting means for said flexible covering, including means movablerelative to said covering and longitudinally of the aisle.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I v

' FREDERICKv E. DAYES.

